Bag-packaging press



T. M. AVER-Y.

BAG PACKAGING PHE-ss.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I0, 1919- 21%,; 35993'3 1 Patented Nov. 16,1920.

6 SHEETS-SHEET I.

N I f N L O nf. ..I /w a, o I M n z: E T% I H0 mw Il sh. Si o U l II| I1 .I I Q IIL roam/ Q MoU/Q O O II IllrlllIrL. .PI fo f ,I S In JTUH m T.M. AVERY.

BAG PACKAGING PRESS.

APPLlcATloN FILED FEB. 10,1919.

T. M. AVERY.

BAG PAcKAGmG PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 1o, 1919. 3 1 1 Patented Nov, 16, 1920.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

T. Mi AVERY.

BAG PACKAGING PRESS.

APPLICATION mm FEB. lo, |919.

Panted Nov. 16,1920.

6 SHEETS--SHEET 4.

T; M. AVERY.

V BAG PACKAGING PR'ESS.

APPLlcATloN FILED FEB. lo. |919.

1,359,3 1 1 Patented Nov. 16, 1920.

e SHEETS-SHEET 5.

TIE-. E

Fue M 1411/6/31, witness@ j l se,

attua,

T. M. AVERY..

BAG PACKAGING PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED FE B.10,19|9.

UNITED STATES i PATENT oFFicE.

TRUE M. AVERY, OE GnENsEAELs, NEW YORK, f'AssIGNoR 'ro UNION BAG aPAEE'R CORPORATION, OE NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OE NEW JERSEY.'

BAG-PACKAGING' PRESS.

Specification of Letters Patent. l VYPatented NOV. 16, 1920.

Application ined February io, 1919. serial No. 276,089. 1

T0 all whom t may concern Be it knownthat I, TRUE M. AVERY, a citizenofthe United States, residing at Glens Falls, in the county of 1KNarrenand State of New York, have invented Vnew and useful Improvements inBag-Packaging Pressesi of which the following is a specification.

Il`his invention relates to an improved press especially applicable tothe work of baling or packaging paper bags and the principal objects ofthe invention are to promote speed and facility of operation, to providefor automatic operations at all times and in all respects completelyunder the vOperators control andto provide apress which shall be readilyadaptable to bags and bag packages of if'arying proportions and whichwill be sturdy, durable and relatively compact.

The invention relates more `particularly to L pneumatically operatedpress, and with the stated objects in view the invention resides incertain features of structure, combination and yrelation involving the,cooperating elements whereby the pneumatic operation of thev Lpress iscarried out, and also .in certain other details of structure andarrangement,rtending .to promote facility of use, all-of which features.will be set forth at length as the description proceeds.

An embodiment of the invention is illus trated in-the accompanyingdrawings, Whereiii:-

Figure 1 is a plan View of a press in which the features of theinvention are incorporated, the active part or plunger being in itsretracted position.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation.

Y Fig. 3 is an elevation from the rear end of the press.

F ig. L1 is a vdetail vertical sectional view of the pneumaticallyoperated plunger and its appurtenances.

Fig. 5 is a detail elevation, partly in section, on the line 5-5 of Fig.4.

`Fig. -6 is a detail crosssectional View to a somewhat enlarged scale onthe line 6 6 of Fig. l.

Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of an element of the table uponwhich the bags are packaged or baled.

F ig. S is a detail cross-sectional view to a somewhat enlarged scale onthe line 8 8 of ig. el.

Figs. 9` and 10 are horizontal sectional views on the respectiveylines-9 9 and 10-10 i 'Y of ig. 8. y

Figs. `11` and 1 2 are detail vertical seotional views on the respective`lines 11-11 and 12-12 of Fig. 8. V

F 13 is a detailelevation showing the working face of the controllingvalve. Similar characters of reference designate corresponding ,partsthroughout the several versely disposed l.plate arranged at; the .frontv end of the ,table and ,its dimensions yare selected with regard ftothe-dimensions of the bags which make up the package. 'lho platform 2preferably .has ,at its 'front Vend 21 Clepefldllg'leXSIlSon 5 ytoVwhich the plate 3 is secured Vby fastenin screws k6. Said plate may boprovided with vertical slots 7 through which said screws extendlandwhich enable vertical ,adjustments of the position of said plate, as maybe desired, ,in accordance with the vertical dimension of the bas aslaid on their side edges. lThe movable head 4 consists of a plate 8which is carried by the reciprocatoryplunger 9 andaspring pressure bar10 which is supported ,by but spaced .from the 5plate 8. Foi-,thesupport of f the bar 10 a bra ret 11 is secured at one endv of the plate8 by a suitable fastening 12 and the bar 10 is secured at the front ofthe bracket 11 by a suitable fastening 13. Thebar 10 hasits other endfree, and,beingspringy or resilient, has a yielding actionat its freeend. Such yielding action ,is,.however, restricted or arrested by anabutment 14 which is spaced slightly to the rear of the bar 10 and whichis secured by a suitable fasten- A ging 15 tothe plate 8 at; the endthereof remote from the bracket 11. The plate 8 is secured by fastenings17 tothe attachment fflange Y18 at the front end ofthe plunger 9 and isprovided with horizontal slots v16l through which pass the bolts of thefastenprovides for the vertical adjustment of the bar 10. The attachmentflange of the abutyment 14 maybe formed lwith a horizontal Slot 21through which the bolt of the fastening 15 extends and which providesfor a lateral adjustment 0f 'the position 01"- said abutment tocompensate for a lateral adjustment of the position'of the bar 10.

In the use of the press, the bags to be Vpackaged are placed on edgeparallel tc the head 3 and bar 10 on a sheet'of paper which provides thewrapper, and cords are tied at suitable intervalsV about the package. Topromote such use, the bed plate 2 carries at its front end andimmediately in the rear of the head 3 a baling platform, of which 22 isa general designation and whose office is to provide an appropriateresting surface for the purpose in view. The platform 22 preferablyconsists of a pair of plates 23 mounted for transverse adjustment on thebed plate 2. As shown, said bed-plate is provided with a pair oftransverse grooves 2dextendingin parallel relation between the sidesthereof and each plate 23 is provided along its under face and inlaterallyprojecting relation with a tongue 25 which nts and isadjustable in one of the grooves 2li., therprojecting portion of eachtongue eX- tending under the companion plate 23 and being formed with alongitudinal slot 26 through which passes the bolt or shank of thefastening 27 employed for the connection of the tongue to the bed plate2, such slot enabling suitable lateral adjustments of the positions ofthe plates 23. The number of cords employed for tying the package willbe a matter of choice and will be dependent on the dimensions ofthe bagsand the dimensions of the package, large bags and large packagesobviously requiring more securing cords than smaller ones. 1n any case,the head 3 will be provided with vertical slots 28 extending from itsupper edge and affording cord guides and the plates 23 will be providedwith longitudinal grooves 29 through which the cords are led, saidgrooves, of course, alining with the particular slots 28 which are usedas cord guides. It will be obvious that the number and relative spacingof the slots 28 and the width of the grooves 29 will be selected withregard such positions.

to the number and relative spacing of the cords by which the package isto be secured. The ballsof cord may be arranged'in a receptaclesupported under the bed plate 2 by Y Y means of a shelf or platformcarried by the frame 1; and the cords will be passed through holes 30 inthe bed plate 2 somewhat in the rear ef the platform 22 and throughholes 31 in the plates 23 and will,

thence be led through the grooves V29 and slots 28, the plates 23 havingflaring recesses 31 in their under faces which lead to the framing'ofthe table 1 and may be suitably weighted to cause them to quickly fallto The oliice of the plates 32 is to effect a uniform horizontalarrangement or evening7 of the bags in the group, and also properly tolocate the bags, as a group, transverselyV Y with relation to the heads3 and L1,'and for such purposes, after the bags have been placed uponthe sheet of paper which 'forms the wrapper, the plates 32 are swung tovertical positions in which they bear against the ends of the bags andpush inward any bags which may happen to project, thus insuring auniform arrangement of all the bags. rlfhe compression of the group ofbags to the desired density is, of course, Yproduced by movement of thehead l toward the head 3; and in the formation and securing of thepackage ori bale the pocedure is as follows: The opera: tor firstarranges the cords in the slots 28' and then lays the sheet which is toform the wrapper upon the platform 22 and over the cords. Thereupon, heeffects the movement of the head 4 to its advanced position andcompresses the stack of bags. TWhile the head l is' held in its advancedposition so as to maintain the bags under compression, he

folds the transverselydisposed end portions of the wrapping sheet uponthe bags, the folded portion at the rear of the package encompassing4the spring bar 10. Thereupon, drawing the cords from the rear of saidspring bar over the package he ties the same to the free endsof thecords hanging from the slots 28 and then cuts the cords. He then returnsthe head 4 to its initial or retracted position and when said headreaches such position he quickly removes the package from the machine bysliding it transversely beyond that side of the machine toward which thefree end of the bar 10 projects, the machine then being ready foranother operation. In such sliding removal of the package the bar 10serves as a guideV and the web of the wrapper lying to the rear of saidbar passes between the same and the abutment 111. When the package isre- Y slightly spaced above said .bed plate where- Y The foregoingAdescription deals with structural features which are old in theart butwhose disclosure in this application will promote an understanding ofthefeatures of utility and advantage of my present invention. Y

One feature of the invention consists in the provision of means locatedin the rear of the platform 22 for holding the wrapping paper spacedfrom'the bed plate. Such means preferably consists of leaf springs 34which are disposed longitudinally of the bed plate 2 and, beingyieldable under the weight of the package, serve to hold the sheet ofpaper which provides the wrapper 'by the operator may readilygraspandmanipulate said sheet in rconnection withV the folding and tyingoperations, as above described.

The plunger 9 reciprocates in a cylinder 35 and the invention includesmeans forv supporting the somewhat heavily weighted front end oftheplunger duringthe movevment thereof, thereby to insure that the springbari() carried thereby shall always occupy a plane normal to the planeo'f the platform 22 and consequently to -insure that said bar, duringits advance, shall bear uniformly throughout its area lupon the stack ofbags and shalleffect a uniform compression of the said stack it@ thedensity required. This means vpreferably consists of stabilizing arms 36which are located at each side of and project rearward from the plate 8and bear upon -the bed plate 2. In the construction preferred, the arms36 are provided at their ends with anti-friction rollers 37 and the bedplate 2 is provided with rails 38 upon which said anti-friction rollersoperate, the length of the rails 38 being selected to insure that thebar i() will be supported, as described, throughout its range ofmovement.

The cylinder 35 is, if course, disposed longitudinally of the table 2and is provided with projecting attachment lugs 40 for co eperation withfastenings 4l by which said cylinder is secured to the bed plate. A Itis preferred that the cylinder'35 shall be adjustable lengthwise of thebed plate 2, and for such purpose the bed plate is formed withhlongitudinal slots 4l through which the bolts of the fastenings 4lextend, the lengthwise adjustment of said cylinder being for the purposeof adapting the head 4 to packages of varying thickness.

The rear ends of the springs 34are preferably secured to the front Vpairvof cylining said plunger.

'der attachment lugs 40 bythe nuts of the associated fastenin'gs 4lvandV the free ends of said 'springs are preferably downwardly offset,a's-at 39, and, of course,bear uponv the bed plate l2, the offsets 39insuring that lthe active portions of the springs shall project suitablyabovethe upper face of-said plate.

Obviously, however, thesprings 34 maybel Yotherwise formedand arrangedfor the pur poses in view. l y

'The imostri'mportant features ofthe vin'- vention Vare concerned withthe vco'perating relation ofthe plunger 9 and thecylinder 35 and theelements of the valve structure 'forcontrolling the operation of-saidplunger. rlhe 'valve' structure is :preferably: lol cated at the rearend cf .the cylinder 35 and is connected vto said cylinder whereby toadmit air thereto for effecting the advance or Y lretraction of theplunger and simultaneously to exhaust ythe air used for the neXtprevious stroke ofthe plunger. The plunger 9 'has atits inner -end adouble piston, whose faces re-act to the air admitted for 4effecting therespective forward and rearward strokes.- rIhe structural details of thesaid piston are ancillary lfeatures vof the invention; andthe pistonpreferably comprises a cupped member 42 lwhich is fitted over thereduced rear vend of the plunger and is secured thereto by screws 43which also secure a flat ring or plate 44 employed for the retention ofa rearwardly directed piston element 45 having sealing engagement withthe wall of the cylinder 35; a similar, but forwardly directed, 'pistonelement 46 is arranged at the frontiof the member 42 and is held by andbetweenthe same and a Vretaining ring47 surrounding the plunger 9 andbearing against a shoulder 48 circumscrib- The ring 47 projects slightlyin advance of the margin of the element 46 and slightly beyond thecircum vference of the plunger 9y and protects the piston 46 againstcontact with lthe front head of the cylinder. The flange 18 byengagement with the front head of the cylinder limits the rearwardmovement of the plunger and is arranged whereby the parts at the rearendof the piston will not contact with the rear end of the cylinder whensaid plunger is fully retracted, the piston element being thusprotected. A soft leather cushioning piece or bumper 18a is preferablyarranged between said flange and the front endof the cylinder. While apiston having the vabove or equivalent structural details is preferred,and, as stated. is an ancillary feature of the invention, it will beunderstood that other forms of pistons, constructed to serve thepurposes in view, may be adopted, if desired.

The valve structure is preferably selic contained and includes a casing49 which has as it front end a circumscribing flange sure" for therearend of the cylinder-35 and coperates vwith the controllingvalve Thecasing a9. is 'extended rearward beyond Y Y the web 52 4and itsfgrearend. is closed by a vhead. i secured by screws 55.

ln the construction, preferred, the valve l53 is formed as a-d-islrand-.is arrar'iged in therear of andV concentricv to the webV 52,bearing against and'cooperating with theV rear face ojflsaid wein, andis operated by an'axially disposed stein 59. vAs shown, said `valvel'iasa rearwardly projecting boss56 which is provided with a diainetricalgroove 57 and the head 54 isfprovided with va rearwardly extendedbearing V53 for the stem 59, said stem having at its Vinner end a head'60 which ,bears against the boss 56 and is formed with a diametricaltang 6l which `fits closely in the groove 57 and'byfwhich the stein'59andv valve are Vconnected to rotate together.

The' casing t9 isprovided in the rear or `,the valve 53 and preferablyat its lower side with an inlet-connection 62 for live air; and the web52 is formedwith an exhaust duct 63 having aV connection 64 externallyof said casing ,and leading from a main exhaust port 65 open to the rearface of tl e web 52. By virtue of the valve 53, the automatic operationof the press is completely under the operators control and may beeffected with suoli rapidity as maybe desirable. TheI function of the`valve is to provide for the admission of air into the cylinder 35 ateither side of the piston and the exhaust of air from said rcylinderA atthe side of the piston opposite to that at which air is admitted, andvin such function thev Vvalve 53 coperates with the web 52, the 'variouscoperating air passages in said valve and web being located at equaldistances from the common axial center. 1For the admission of air, thepreferred construction compses a live air port 67 extending between theflat faces of the valve 53 and'live air passages 68 and 69 in the web52, vthe passage 68 extending between the flat faces of said web andcommunicating directly with the rear end of the cylinder 35 and thepassage 69 having a lateral connection 70 with an air feed pipe 7l whichcoinmunicates with the cylinder 35 at or near the front end thereof.rl`he valve 53 is opera- Y tive in either of its extreme positions topass live air to the cylinder 35 and thus provide for a movement of theplunger; in one of said positions its port 67 alines with the passage 68andair for the operation of the plunger 9 is admitted in the rear of thepiston, and in the other position its port 67 alines with the passage69'and air for `the operationV of theV plunger 9 is admittedrin side ofthe-piston, and in-V the construction" preferredjthe web 52l is providedwith two exhaust passages, 72 A(and 7 3, respectively,

Aarranged' 'at opposite sides of and equidistant from theY port 65,-thepassage 72 having af lateral connection 7 l with an exhaust .pipe 75which leads freni the cylinder 35 near the rear endthereof and thepassage 73 lhaving a lateral connection 76 with an exhaust pipe 77 whichleads from the cylinder dnear the front end thereof; the passages 72 and73 are open to the rear face of said web and communication between eachof them and the intermediate exhaust port 65 is established by a groovevor channel 7 8 formed yconcentrically inthe inner or front face of thevalve 53. When the valve 53 isv positioned to aline its port 67 with thepassage 68 whereby to admit air to the rear of the piston, the channel78 establishes communication between the passage 73 and the nect thepassage 72 and the port 65 where-L by the air in the rear of the pistonwill be vented through the exhaust duct 63.

rl`he Apipe 77 is connected to the cylinder at a point suitably in therear of the front endV of said cylinder whereby an air cushion willbeformed in the portion of said cylinder in advance of said pipe for thepur- )ose of cushioning the forward strol-re of the plunger 9 andprotecting the press against destructive shocks. For the same iurpose,the exhaust pipe 75 is connected to the cylinder 35 at a point suitablyin advance of the rear" end of said cylinder, viz: the web 52, therebyto provide for an air `cushion against which the piston re-acts on its.rearward stroke. In the construction preferred, the air cushion at therear end of the cylinder is maintained only temporarily in order Vnot toimpair the permissible speed with which the press may be operated andthe Vair forming said cushion is gradually vented until the cushionceases to exist, thus allowing'the piston to niove rearward at a safe,but not too slow, degree until its movenieiitis absolutely limited bythe engagementof the flange 13 at the front end ofthe plunger 9 with thefront end of the cylinler35. For the purpose of gradually reducing ordestroying the air cushion at the rear end of the cylinder, the web 52is provided with an exhaust passage 66 of very small diameter whichVextends, from the front face of said web and is open to the exhaustpassage 72. Thus, on the rearward stroke of the piston, there is first arapid exhaust of air from the rear of the piston through the pipe T5Vand passage 72 which continues until the 4piston passes the point atwhich the pipe 7 5 is connected to the'cylinder 35 upon-which theaircushion becomes effective, greatlyV retarding the speed of rearwardmovement of the piston, and the air forming said cushion is slowlyvented through the exhaust passages 66and. 7 2. it'

will be manifest that "the piston may move in either Vdirectionat highspeed but that such high speed movement will have no de structiv'eeffect on the press'v owing to the air cushions provided at the frontand rear 'of the piston. It will also be manifest that since the aircushion at the rear of the piston A instantly compressingthe bags totheden sity desiredY and which does not require any sacrifice ofcompactness. The channel 78- preferably has an ext-ent` at least equalto the spacinglof. the exhaust passages 72 and 7 3 whereby the e'vhaustthrough eitherdof said passages in connection with the operation of thevalve will be initiated'priorto the alinement of the port 67 withY therespective passages 69 or 68, the venting of the air used for theprevious stroke thus being accelerated with relation to the admission ofair for the ensuing stroke.

Air pressure normallymaintained against the rear face of the valve 53 iseffective to hold said valve in good working contact with the web 52.The operation of the valve is, of course, facilitated by regularlubrication; and for this purpose, the casing 49 may be provided in the`rear of the valve 52 with an oil cup 79, while the valve 52 has acentral oil passage 80 between `its flat faces and open at the frontface of said valve to a distributing channel 81, oil being fed throughsaid passage, under the action of theV compressed air,.to maintain theconstant lubrication of the coperating wearing surfaces of the valve 53and web 52.

The operation of the valve 53 as above described may be effected by anysuitable means but the construction disclosed is preferred by reasonofits facility and certainty. As shown, the valve operating means consistsof a longitudinal rock shaft 82 arranged under the bed plate 2 andournaled ably mounted; andthe *segmentV 86` is provided at itssides withstop lugs 88 for cooperation with the flange y85, said flange preferablycarrying bumper elements 89 against which the lugs 88 impinge `for thepurpose of positively, arresting the movement of the valve stem andvalve in either The shaft 82 is operatedl by.

shafftand have their terminal links` secured. Y

by vstuds 95 which are, of course, removable and which project acrossthe groove or channel' i'nwhich the chains or cables.. 93 operate. Thesheave or drum 94 is preferably ro-` tatably adjustable 'relativelytothe shaft 82 in order that the degree of rocking'move-y ment ofsaidshaft in/one direction orthe othermay be regulated asdesired; For such.r, l'

purpose, the sheave 94 is connected by a screw 96-t0 a.V suitablyconstructed clamp element 97 which ,surroundsv the `shaft 82' and maybeuset at any vdesired angularfposi tion on said shaft.

In the use of the machine, the only attenf tion required on the part ofthe operator isV the operation of the pedals 90 and 91, the otheroperations, apart from wrapping and tying, being entirely automatic.

pedals is operated air is immediately ad! mitted into the front or rearend of the cylinder as the case may be and is vented from the oppositeend of the cylinder and the piston is instantly responsive to theadmission of air into the cylinder. The reciprocatory movements of theplunger 9 and head 4 are completely under the control of the operatorand may be effected with great rapidity whereby the operation ofcompressing the bags to the density desired may4 be completed in asecond, while at the same time destructive shocks are substantiallyeliminated. rlhe valve and cylinder organization is, moreover, readilyaccessible for any necessary purposes, such as renewing the valve faces,the piston elements, or the packing glands.

Having fully described my invention, I claim :l y

l. In a press of the type set forth, the combination ofrelativelymovable coperating'heads for applying pressure, a bed plate over Vwhichthe movable headoperates, a resting surface at the front of the bedplate upon which the package is formed, andl means vassociated with saidplate in the rear of said resting surface and upon which a The orfganization is such that when either of 'the9 l() of'said surface andupon Which a sheet of.V

i sheet of Wrapping paper may be held slightly spaced above said plate,as .and for the' purpose set forth. f

2. In a press rof the type set forth, the combination ofrelativelymovable coperating heads for applying pressure, a bed plate over whichthe movable head operates, a V,resting surface at the front end of theplate and uponwhich the package is formed, and leaf springs overlyingsaid plate in the rear Wrapping papermay be held slightly spaced abovesaid plate, as and for the purposeset forth. `j Y 3.,Infa press of thetype set forth, the combination of a fixed head and a movable head, thelatter having a pressure applying element'for cooperation With the fixedhead, means for projecting the movable head to- Ward the fixed head, abed plate over which the movable head operates, a resting surfacesurface` and'upon which a sheet of Wrapping plying element in a plane ata constant angle to the plane ofthe bed plate, Y f

4. In a press of yhe type set forth, the combination of a fixed head anda movable head, the latter having a pressure applying element forcoperation with the fixed head, means for projecting the movable headto- Ward the iixed head, a bed plate over Which Vthe movable headoperates, a resting surface. at the front of the bed plateupon Whichthe.V packageis formed, means associated withV said plate in the rear.of said resting surface and upon Which a sheet of Wrapping paper may beheld slightly spaced above said plate, and arms secured to andprojecting rearward from the movable head at Veach side of thecenterfthereof. and having sup-V porting engagement With the bedI plate,thereby positivelyto hold said pressure ap-4 plying element in arplaneat a constant angle to the plane of ,the'bed plate. Y

In testimony whereof I` have hereunto set my hand in presenceoftvvosubscribing Witnesses. Y Y

lWitnesses:

GLnNoovA BEAUDOIN THERESA M. KEENAN;

